DENIS BEĆIROVIĆ IS NOT AND CANNOT BE THE HEAD OF STATE

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, DECEMBER 27 /SRNA/ – Denis Bećirović is not and cannot be the head of state, because such a designation does not exist in the Constitution of BiH, said BiH Ambassador to China Siniša Berjan.

After Zlatko Lagumdžija, appearing on FBiH media, said that Milorad Dodik, Dragan Čović, and Bakir Izetbegović should be removed from the political arena in BiH in order for the country to move forward, Berjan pointed out that during that appearance Dodik was repeatedly mentioned in a negative context in a completely deliberate manner, accompanied by an open political pamphlet and a call for the so-called “democratic forces” to gather around Bećirović in the next election cycle. “Especially problematic is the fact that Bećirović was presented on that occasion as the ‘head of state.’ I must state very clearly: Denis Bećirović is not and cannot be the head of state, because such a formulation does not exist in the Constitution of BiH,” Berjan emphasized. As he explained, the head of state in BiH is the Presidency of BiH, a collective body consisting of three members – a Serb, a Croat, and a Bosniak. “That Presidency also includes the Serb member, Ms. Željka Cvijanović. Anything else is a deliberate deception of the public. These are elementary constitutional facts that every citizen should know, especially someone who is supposed to represent the entire BiH before the UN, not just the interests of one people,” Berjan stated. He said it was unacceptable to deny the Presidency of BiH as the collective head of state and to conduct a policy at the UN that does not represent the entire country, but rather a private, politically motivated agenda. According to him, it is precisely such a one-sided, irresponsible, and deeply harmful approach that seriously undermines BiH. “Who will sit in the Presidency of BiH and what the political scene will look like is decided by citizens in the elections in October next year, not by individuals who take it upon themselves to persistently ignore the Constitution of BiH,” Berjan stressed. He has noted that it is true that this year has been one of the most difficult since the Dayton to date, but added that it should also be said why. “It will be remembered for the trampling of democratic principles, for the defeat of law and justice, for the arbitrariness of unappointed foreigners, and for attempts to re-tailor the electoral will of one constituent people. Such an approach does not build BiH – it dismantles it,” Berjan believes. He emphasized that the future of BiH is possible exclusively with respect for the Constitution, full respect for all three constituent peoples and both entities, as well as full respect for the democratic will of citizens.